Tabletop clamp

ABSTRACT

A one-piece clamp for suspending articles such as handbags from a tabletop or for clipping tablecloths on the tabletop. The clamp has plate-like legs relatively positioned to form an L-shaped bracket, the legs of which may be folded to a flat configuration. Clamping pressure is supplied by a tongue connected to one of the legs and pressing against the underside of the tabletop.

United States Patent 1 Killinger 1 TABLETOP CLAMP [76] Inventor: WilliamJ. Killinger, 4262 Lamont DTiLKFPEFlPfiLQhlQ c,

[22] Filed: June 28, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 267,011

[52] US. Cl. 248/226 E, 24/84 B [51] Int. Cl. A471 5/00 [58] Field ofSearch 248/226 R, 226 E,

248/205 R, 304, 308; 24/255, 81 B, 81 C, 84 B, 84 C, 84 R, 261 A, 261 B,3 F, 243 AB,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,953,627 4/1934 Overholtz24/81 B UX 3,304,042 2/1967 lvandick.... 248/226 E X 1,856,847 5/1932Gates 248/226 E 2,172,787 9/1939 Brownell 24/81 C X 2,461,071 2/1949Mettenleiter..... 24/84 B X 3,266,111 Abel 24/81 C 3,279,727 10/1966Buttriss 24/81 B X 871,072 11/1907 Seidenopinner.. 24/81 C 1,955,4764/1934 Torgersen 248/226 R X 1,751,198 3/1930 Franck 248/308 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 1,104,776 2/1968 Great Britain 248/308 PrimaryExaminer-J. Franklin Foss Attorney-Roger S. Dybvig [57] ABSTRACT Aone-piece clamp for suspending articles such as handbags from a tabletopor for clipping tablecloths on the tabletop. The clamp has plate-likelegs relatively positioned to form an L-shaped bracket, the legs ofwhich may be folded to a flat configuration. Clamping pressure issupplied by a tongue connected to one of the legs and pressing againstthe underside of the tabletop.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TABLETOP CLAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide aninexpensive, simple clamp which may be used either for suspendingarticles from,or clipping articles to a tabletop, which may be made inone-piece from polypropylene or the like plastic material, which iseasily clamped to a tabletop and removable therefrom, and which may befolded flat for convenience in carrying or storing.

A clamp in accordance with this invention is generally L-shaped, thelegs of the L-shape being plate-like members, one of which is adapted toengage horizontally along the upper surface of a tabletop, the other ofwhich extends vertically along a marginal edge of the tabletop. Apressure applying tongue confronting the horizontal leg is connected tothe vertical leg along the lower edge of an aperture therein. The clampmay be mounted on the table with one hand by gripping the side edges ofthe vertical leg by the thumb and middle finger, respectively, whileengaging the tongue by the index finger extended through the aperture tobias it into engagement with the underside of the tabletop.

In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the entire clamp is molded inone piece from a plastic material such as polypropylene and the tongueis molded so as initially to have a relaxed condition substantially inthe plane of the leg to which it is connected whereupon, when bent outof its relaxed condition, it is self-biasing to apply pressure to theunderside of the tabletop. Also the plate-like legs are pivotallyconnected together to permit the legs to be folded one against the otherwhen the clamp is not in use, the legs being provided with cooperatingsnap fastener means whereupon the clamp may be carried or stored withthe legs folded flat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of atabletop clamp in accordance with this invention shown with a pendantfor the strap of a ladys handbag, the clamp being illustrated in afolded condition as it would be when stored or carried.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clamp of FIG. 1 unfolded or openedin preparation for clipping it to a tabletop.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the clamp and pendant with the clampclipped to a tabletop.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the clamp illustrated clipped to atabletop as in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The following description ofthis invention is in terms of the presently contemplated best usethereof, that is a clamp for a tabletop. It will be appreciated,however, that the clamp of this invention may be used for temporarilysecuring articles together or securing articles to members other thantabletops. To avoid a prolixity of terms, the terminology tabletop isused in the following description and claims although it is to beunderstood that this term is to be construed to apply to other membersor articles to which the clamp of this invention may be advantageouslyapplied. Furthermore, terms such as upper", lower, horizontal" and thelike are used for convenience, it being understood that such terms aremerely relative.

With reference to the drawing, a clamp in accordance with this inventionis generally designated 10 and comprises a first leg 12 and a second leg14. When engaged with a tabletop 16, the legs 12 and 14 are oriented inan L-shaped configuration, the confronting faces of the legs 12 and 14being relatively located at an included angle of substantially the firstleg 12 engaging horizonally along the top of the tabletop 16 and thesecond leg 14 extending vertically along the side edge of the tabletopl6. Clamping pressure is pro vided by a generally rectangular tongue 18connected to a lower margin 20 of a centrally located aperture 22 in thevertical leg 14. The particular usage of the clamp 10 illustrated in thedrawing is for temporarily suspending a ladys handbag from the tabletop16, the strap, designated 24, of the handbag extending through a ring 26of a pendant 28 connected as by a wire ring 30 to the lower end of thevertical leg 14.

The first leg 12 and the second leg 14 are preferably formed by moldingthem in one piece from a suitable plastic material, such aspolypropylene, and are joined together by a web 32 of the same material.The web 32 issufficiently thin that it permits the legs 12 and 14 to bepivoted or folded toward one another whereupon the confronting facesthereof may be brought into substantial engagement as illustrated inFIG. 1. At such time the legs 12 and 14 can be temporarily securedtogether at the sides opposite the web 32 by cooperating interfittingmeans. As illustrated the interfitting means may consist of a ball 34integrally formed on the end of the first leg 12 adapted to be snappedinto a socket 36 in a flange plate 38 integrally formed on thecorresponding end of the second leg 14.

The first leg 12 is a relatively stiff plate which, as known to thosefamiliar with polypropylene plastics, can be made adequately stiff if onthe order of a quarter of an inch thick. Optionally the leg 12 may havea uniform thickness or, for purposes of utility or design, one or bothfaces of the leg 12 could be recessed. In the drawing the plate 12 isshown to have a rectangular recess 40 in its lower face. The recess 40could, for example, house a mirror (not shown) or it could receive asuitable rubber or the like sheet (not shown) for providing a betterfrictional grip to the tabletop. The leg 14 is also a relatively stiffplate and the tongue 18 is substantially thinner than the body of theplate 14 so that the tongue 18 is relatively resilient. During themolding of the clamp 10, the tongue 18 is preferably located inside theaperture 22, with its outer face substantially coplanar with the insideface of the vertical leg 14. Such molding technique will cause thetongue 18 to be self-biasing thereby to apply pressure to the undersideof the tabletop when the clamp 10 is mounted thereon.

In practice the plates 12 and 14 are preferably positioned relative toone another at an included angle of precisely 90 when in clampingposition although a slightly smaller included angle might besatisfactory. If the included angle exceeds 90 the clamp would usuallynot be satisfactory because it would then have a tendency to slide offthe tabletop 16. To obtain the proper included angle, the web 32 extendsalong a horizontal pivot axis spaced from the outer edge of thehorizontal plate 12, whereupon an abutment surface 42 overhanging thetabletop is provided between the web 32 and the outer edge of the plate12. The web 32 is also connected to the inner edge of the top surface ofthe plate 14. The top surface of the plate 14 thus acts as a stopsurface against which the abutment surface 42 engages when the parts arein clamping position. These two surfaces can be formed to any desiredmating configuration which prevents the plate 12 from being pivotedrelative to the plate 14 beyond an included angle of 90. For ease ofmanufacture, the mating surfaces are preferably planar, the surface 42being coplanar with the lower surface of the plate 12.

If the clamp 10 is to be used for suspending a lady's handbag from atabletop, it may be carried around in folded flat condition asillustrated in FIG. 1. The clamp 10 is preferably decorated to form anattractive accessory for the handbag. 1f the clamp is simply to bestored it would again most conveniently be folded flat. When it is to beused as a clamp or clip, the flange 38 may be bent to release the ball34 from the socket 36. Then, by gripping the side edges of the plate 14between the thumb and the middle finger, the free end of the leg 12 isfirst placed on the tabletop and the tongue 18 bent so that its free endis substantially parallel to the plate 12 by extending the index fingerthrough the finger access aperture 22. The pressure exerted by thetongue 18 against the table need be just sufficient to maintain theL-shaped configuration of the legs 12 and 14. Accordingly, the clamp 10may be removed from the tabletop merely by gripping it with one hand andpulling it laterally away.

Although the unitary one-piece construction illustrated in the drawingis preferred, it will be apparent that the web 32 could be replaced by apiano hinge or hinges (not shown) and that the tongue 18 could be madefrom a relatively stiff material connected by a spring-biased hinge (notshown) of conventional construction to the face of the leg 14. it isimportant, however, that the vertical leg be shaped to provide fingeraccess to the tongue through the leg 14.

Although the presently preferred embodiment of this invention has beendescribed, it will be understood that within the purview of thisinvention various changes may be made within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A clamp for a tabletop comprising a horizontal leg adapted to overliea tabletop and extend beyond an edge of the tabletop, a vertical legconnected to said horizontal leg and having an upper surface abuttedagainst a lower surface of said horizontal leg projecting beyond theedge of the tabletop, said horizontal and vertical legs being pivotallyconnected together about a horizontal axis whereby said legs may befolded together with their inside faces in substantial engagement,interfitting means on said legs for releasably maintaining said legsfolded together, and bias means for applying pressure pivotallyconnected to said vertical leg and extending from said vertical leg tothe underside of said tabletop in confronting relation to the horizontalleg, said vertical leg being shaped to provide finger access to saidbias means.

2. A clamp for a tabletop comprising an L-shaped bracket having two legsabutting one another at an included angle of substantially one of saidlegs being apertured, a resilient tongue connected to a margin of theaperture in said one leg, said tongue being bendable into a positionwhereat its free end is substantially parallel to the other of saidlegs, whereupon said other of said legs may be positioned on one surfaceof a tabletop with said one of said legs extending along the edge ofsaid tabletop and with said tongue engaging the opposite surface of saidtabletop and applying pressure thereto for retaining said clamp ingripping relation to said tabletop, said legs and said tongue beingmolded in one piece from plastic, said legs being joined by a webpermitting said legs to be pivoted relative to one another from saidL-shaped bracket configuration to a flat configuration.

3. A clamp for a tabletop comprising a horizontal leg adapted to overliea tabletop and extend beyond an edge of the tabletop, a vertical legconnected to said horizontal leg and having an upper surface abuttedagainst a lower surface of said horizontal leg projecting beyond theedge of the tabletop, and bias means for applying pressure pivotallyconnected to said vertical leg and extending from said vertical leg tothe underside of said tabletop in confronting relation to the horizontalleg, said vertical leg being apertured to permit finger access to saidbias means, said bias means comprising a resilient tongue, the loweredge of which is connected to said vertical leg along the lower edge ofthe aperture therein, said horizontal leg, said vertical leg, and saidtongue being formed in one piece, said horizontal leg and said verticalleg being pivotally connected together by a web extending along thelower face of said horizontal leg and the upper inside edge of saidvertical leg.

1. A clamp for a tabletop comprising a horizontal leg adapted to overliea tabletop and extend beyond an edge of the tabletop, a vertical legconnected to said horizontal leg and having an upper surface abuttedagainst a lower surface of said horizontal leg projecting beyond theedge of the tabletop, said horizontal and vertical legs being pivotallyconnected together about a horizontal axis whereby said legs may befolded together with their inside faces in substantial engagement,interfitting means on said legs for releasably maintaining said legsfolded together, and bias means for applying pressure pivotallyconnected to said vertical leg and extending from said vertical leg tothe underside of said tabletop in confronting relation to the horizontalleg, said vertical leg being shaped to provide finger access to saidbias means.
 2. A clamp for a tabletop comprising an L-shaped brackethaving two legs abutting one another at an included angle ofsubstantially 90*, one of said legs being apertured, a resilient tongueconnected to a margin of the aperture in said one leg, said tongue beingbendable into a position whereAt its free end is substantially parallelto the other of said legs, whereupon said other of said legs may bepositioned on one surface of a tabletop with said one of said legsextending along the edge of said tabletop and with said tongue engagingthe opposite surface of said tabletop and applying pressure thereto forretaining said clamp in gripping relation to said tabletop, said legsand said tongue being molded in one piece from plastic, said legs beingjoined by a web permitting said legs to be pivoted relative to oneanother from said L-shaped bracket configuration to a flatconfiguration.
 3. A clamp for a tabletop comprising a horizontal legadapted to overlie a tabletop and extend beyond an edge of the tabletop,a vertical leg connected to said horizontal leg and having an uppersurface abutted against a lower surface of said horizontal legprojecting beyond the edge of the tabletop, and bias means for applyingpressure pivotally connected to said vertical leg and extending fromsaid vertical leg to the underside of said tabletop in confrontingrelation to the horizontal leg, said vertical leg being apertured topermit finger access to said bias means, said bias means comprising aresilient tongue, the lower edge of which is connected to said verticalleg along the lower edge of the aperture therein, said horizontal leg,said vertical leg, and said tongue being formed in one piece, saidhorizontal leg and said vertical leg being pivotally connected togetherby a web extending along the lower face of said horizontal leg and theupper inside edge of said vertical leg.